Homelessness
Homeless People Displaced as Harvard Restricts Overnight Smith Center Access
Harvard has begun restricting access to the plaza outside the Smith Campus Center outside of the building’s operating hours, displacing homeless residents who have regularly stayed there overnight.
Newcomer Elizabeth Bisio Wants to Focus on Resident Voices in Run for City Council
Bisio, a former emergency room nurse and start-up founder, moved to Cambridge four years ago and believes her non-political experiences allow her to put plans into action.
Harvard Federal Credit Union Employees Build Beds for Children At SEC Volunteer Event
Employees and affiliates from the Harvard Federal Credit Union gathered at Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex to construct beds for children in need as part of a Build a Bed volunteering event on Tuesday.
‘Just Get to Work’: Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Focuses on Care, President Says at Forum
In the greater Boston area, where nearly 13,000 individuals can experience homelessness on a given night, many nonprofits work to address systemic housing issues. But the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program has taken a different approach — emphasizing immediate and continuous care.
New Emergency Assistance Family Shelter To Open In Cambridgeport
Massachusetts will open a new “Rapid Track” shelter for up to 70 Emergency Assistance eligible families in Cambridgeport beginning at the end of April.
Cambridge City Council To Consider Renewing Funding for Transition Wellness Center
The Cambridge City council voted to consider renewing funding for the Transition Wellness Center at Spaulding Hospital in a 5-4 vote at their Monday meeting after a heated debate and hours of public comment.
As State Resources Strain, Houses of Worship Fill the Gap To Host Homeless Immigrants
For the past four months, an immigrant mother from Uganda and her two children have slept in the basement of an Episcopal church in the Greater Boston area.
Cambridge To Halt Funding for Transition Wellness Center Shelter as American Rescue Plan Funds Run Out
The City of Cambridge plans to halt funding to the Transition Wellness Center Shelter in June — removing the shelter’s 58 beds as the city struggles to accommodate its unhoused population. The temporary shelter was originally intended to close in 2023.
Residents, Former Staff Allege Hostility and Unsanitary Conditions at Bay Cove Shelters
Residents and former staff of three shelters operated by Bay Cove Human Services in Cambridge alleged — in a public meeting, interviews, and more than 500 pages of public records obtained by The Crimson — that staff berated residents and shelters harbored unsanitary conditions.
Cambridge Residents Hold Donation Drive to Address Homelessness
As the City of Cambridge works to meet the needs of its homeless population, private institutions — like Saint Peter School and the Harvard Square Churches Meal Program— are trying to fill in the gaps.
Progressive Cambridge Policing Approach Tested By Homeless Encampment
Despite the removal of an encampment under the Boston University Bridge by police last year, the tents have since returned — testing the Cambridge Police Department’s attempt to balance their lawful responsibility and effort to respect the choice to live outdoors.
Mass General Brigham to Launch Home Hospital Care Program for Homeless Veterans
Ariadne Labs at Mass General Brigham is launching a new program to offer at-home hospital care for homeless veterans in transitional housing, according to a press release from the hospital.
Bay Cove Staff Accused of Mistreatment at Public Hearing
A City Council meeting intended to focus on how Cambridge could better support homeless residents turned into something of a public reckoning as resident after resident accused staff at shelters operated by Bay Cove Human Services of abuse and mistreatment.
Cambridge Shelters Struggle With Tightening Budgets
More than 1,000 people are homeless in Cambridge, many of whom have not been able to secure a bed in a shelter. But staff at shelters in Cambridge and Boston said that the limiting factor isn’t space — it’s funding.
‘Eerie Feeling’: Cambridge Residents Mixed On Central Square Surveillance Program
Cambridge residents are watching closely as the city moves ahead on plans to install more surveillance cameras in Central Square — and they have mixed reviews.
Homeless Families in Cambridge Temporary Shelter Report Worsening Conditions
Residents and shelter workers at the Cambridge Registry of Deeds building center said the new five-day stay limit was going unenforced but fostered a sense of instability as residents struggled to make concrete plans for the future.
State Officials Grant Cambridge Public Schools $200,000 to Support Unhoused Students
The state of Massachusetts awarded Cambridge Public Schools about $200,000 to support unhoused students, state officials announced Tuesday.
Cambridge to Pilot Surveillance Cameras in Central Square
The Cambridge City Council approved a controversial pilot proposal from the Cambridge Police Department to install surveillance cameras in Central Square.
Cambridge Unarmed Response Team Dispatches to 911 Calls
The Cambridge Safety Department’s unarmed response team is now responding to nine different types of non-violent 911 calls in the latest effort to expand policing alternatives.
Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Debuts Renovations To Adapt To 6-Month Stays
The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter unveiled the renovation of their space on Friday — and with it, a dramatic shift in their model to allow shelter guests to stay for the entirety of the 6-month operational season.
State Legislature Limits Emergency Assistance Shelter Stays
State legislators voted Thursday to pass a bill imposing a nine-month limit on families staying in state-run Emergency Assistance Shelters effective June 1.
Healey Administration Puts Limits on Stays in Overflow Homeless Shelters
For months, Massachusetts has struggled to accommodate an influx of unhoused families, who have a right to shelter under state law. Now, state officials are looking to put limits on families’ stays in some state-run shelters.
UCSF Professor Presents Homelessness Research at Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Margot B. Kushel ’89, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, gave the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ 23rd John T. Dunlop Lecture on Thursday.
Rachael Solem, Longtime Irving House Proprietor, Remembered for Her Impact on Local Businesses
Rachael Solem, a founding member of the Cambridge Local First business organization, was remembered by Cambridge residents and leaders for her commitment to the city’s small businesses and nonprofits.
As Cambridge Emergency Shelter Struggles to Meet Needs, Chelsea Nonprofit Provides Resources to Families
La Colaborativa, an immigrant social service organization in Chelsea, opened a walk-in day services center on Tuesday for families staying in the state-run emergency homeless shelter in Cambridge, which has struggled to transition its residents into permanent housing.
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